Day Thirteen...Santa Fe

I had great plans for my day in Santa Fe!

However when I pulled in last night it was snowing.  Yes Snow.  In May.

You might ask, how did you know it was snow?  Well I have had enough encounters with it in the past that I know it when I see it!

So instead, I started the day by checking the weather.  Now those of you who know my history of getting caught in the rain with my top down may be shocked to hear this.  But yes, I checked the weather.

And it was not good.  Snow storms and Ice warnings all over the place, especially on the roads I was planning to take. 

So I made a quick recalculation and was off.  Turns out that was the best thing because there was no way I’d have completed everything on my original list!  I have a habit of trying to over do things!!!

First stop on the List, Pecos National Historic Park.  The drive up was absolutely beautiful.  The trees were all dusted with snow from the night before (and maybe a bit from today!) and I did not encounter any ice.  Put that in the WIN column!

At the top I had a nice chat with the Volunteer manning the visitor Center.  He told me that there are several listings for National parks, and you can tell what kind of area it is by the name (I did not know this!  Learn something new for the day…Check!)

Pecos is a National Historic Park which means it is a National Park with a Historic Monument (and their standing more still!!)  In here are the remnants of Pecos Pueblo.  This was essentially a village at the pass between the Rio Grande and the Great Plains.  A great location for water and land to sustain themselves.  It was 4 stories high and housed over 2000 people in it’s time. 

It existed peacefully until 1518 when the Spaniards arrived, bringing with them all they did at that time.  In 1680 the people of the pueblo rose in revolt and drove the Spaniards out by 1692, burning down the Spanish built Mission in the process.  The pueblo faced changes as the times changed, and the population dwindled as they faced competition in trading from the arrival of the apaches and frontiersmen.  Today it lies in ruins, but is steadily being preserved.

My favorite thing about this was the hike to the Pueblo.  It was stunning once I got to the top, giving a full view of the area.  It was extra special because I could see the storm clouds and the snow!!!  On the way back down I walked through a path lined with pine trees and it smelled SO GOOD!!!  All that was missing was the smell of a campfire and a cup of coffee and life would be Awesome!

Mission

Original Layout of the mission

Where the Homes were

Kiva

What the Original Pueblo looked like

On my way out I learned a little about the Battle of Glorieta Pass.  This occurred in March of 1862 and has been called the “Gettysburg of the West.”  This was the decisive battle of the West, in which the Confederacy attempted to break the Union hold on the West, and were defeated.  This was the final attempt in the West during the Civil War.

Next up was Abiquiú!!!  I had been told I could not miss Abiquiú. 

I made it to the town and I kept looking around thinking “Is this is?  Is this it?  Really?  Can this be it???”

Luckily I kept driving and then it happened.  I found It!  It was amazing.  I kept going to the Echo Amphitheatre where I yelled my heart out and enjoyed the View.